iterumnetwork | [Network] username: leonskennedy

[Leon is quiet a moment, brow furrowed. He's not sure which is worse, witnessing someone's fate, someone you care about, or them simply being gone with no further explanation. Maybe it's easier to hang onto the hope that they're back home and everything is fine that way.] You- [Real sentences, come on.] That happened to you, right?

What was that like? You just woke up back home like you'd never been here? Had time passed? Did you have any proof you were ever here aside from your memories?

And, I get they're pretty shifty but... why do you hate them so much? All but, Nina, was it?

Brand spankin'!

[ Ooh, her favorite thing to drink! Freebies. She pours herself a glass and holds it up to cheers. ]

So you met anyone who knows the ropes yet? Got any tips to share?

[Her energy is contagious and he gives her a soft, smirk of a smile as he raises his glass to click against her's.]

Sort of. I don't know about tips, but this place has some... 'interesting' occurrences. [He takes a drink as he tries to decide what to bring up first.] Apparently, people don't die here. Not permanently. From what I've heard, there's some memory loss and then you're good to go.

We're here for... some reason but I haven't really been able to get an answer as to what that reason actually is. Hard to do something when no one will tell you what it is.

Oh, and the City is something sentient apparently. [And for that one, he'll down a few more mouthfuls of beer before refilling his cup.]

[ His cup set aside again, as Herbert nodded.] Yes, I was researching a drug here that was killing chosen. I pissed off the wrong dealers in the process, so they killed me for it.

[ Works clipped very logical explanation. Someone was refusing to himself dwell on it. ] Of course, I do not remember anything past being shot. It was as if no time passed for me, myself. No going home, no new memories, as some get when they vanish and return. I awoke in a dusty bed of my assigned housing as if nothing had happened, aside from old caked blood on my clothes.

[ There was the important question. ] The Emperor, the Duchess, seems to have replaced him. He lived to toy with us, never offering answers or insight, and seemed to enjoy watching us suffer. The others I have heard of were the same. Except for Nina. Nina was a wonderful woman. She seemed out of place for that crowd. She'd offer you into her home and talk to you as a person. While, she couldn't give a lot, but she listened and tried to help.

No, I don't mean your death... or... maybe I do? You vanished when you died? You said this was your second time here, but you... you actually never left but also never woke up after you 'died'...

[He quiets, trying to piece all this together. None of it seems to make any sense, no rhyme or reason to it.] I guess that means you didn't fulfill whatever purpose you'd been brought here for.

Do people only vanish because they die? I guess, there's no way of knowing that... [What with the vanishing and such.

His head hurts and the coffee definitely isn't helping.]

Sounds like you had a bit of a thing for her.

Edited 2023-07-05 19:15 (UTC)

Fair enough. I may have even confused myself. Though I am certain I died, so I am counting it as a second time.

[ He was not ashamed to admit that. ] Perhaps not, but I honestly do not care what they want me for. I would rather be home, or at least in my own time.

Sometimes, but some of those who vanish never would have been in a situation to be killed. So I don't believe they are connected. I may need more data there, though.

[ Herbert laughed then and shook his head some. ] Funny, but no. Never, not for anyone.

[ He sounded very serious when he said it. ]

How deep a dive are you willing to take on that particular cup of tea, Mister Leon Kennedy? Are we talking the hows of this place being propped up, those that are running it, or where our fresh water is coming from?

Because most of those answers are ~Magic~.

I... huh... I wonder if that happened to anyone else. I was under the impression that the couple of other people I'd spoken to had left and are back now.

... You said you had dried blood on you and that the room was dusty... were you covered in dust? [He leaves some questions unspoken. Herbert seems more than smart enough to ask them on his own. If his deceased body hadn't been in that room and he hadn't gone home, where had it been? Leon doesn't know about his new acquaintance but he'd be pretty concerned by that.

On a more lighthearted note, he does get some wry amusement out of Herbert's staunch denial and he raises his hands in feigned surrender.]

My mistake.

All of the above?

Whatever you know that you wouldn't mind telling me about.

[She'd gotten his hopes up, now he doesn't look too impressed.] Magic. Right.

I guess, I need to clarify - serious answers only.

Yeaaaaaah, that's a little tricky. Reality is not always serious. It is, in fact, wildly ridiculous but I can promise to tell you the truth.

You've.. How new are you, Leon? This your.. your first skip over the ponds of bullshit, let me know how hungry I should come for something to drink.

[He hates to admit that she isn't exactly wrong. Looking back at some stuff he's seen, it is just wildly ridiculous. The kind of thing that would almost be funny if it weren't so awful.]

The truth is good.

I just got here. It's been a few days. I'm guessing this is a return trip for you?

[He tilts his head slightly.] How hungry?

Uh, you said tea, right? Do you know a place?

It is. And I do, so long as you don't mind the smell of Americanized Chinese food. It's called 'EAT OR DON'T' and they have the best noodles around.

[That answer though sounded like Leon was fresh off his first ride on the interdimensional bus. She would try to be gentle.]

I can be there in five minutes, but I understand if it will take you longer.

Edited 2023-07-05 23:41 (UTC)

Chinese food? Love it. I'll be there as soon as I can.

[to action~~~>

Leon ends the call and spends a minute looking the restaurant up. It seems easy enough to get to. Unsurprisingly though, she beats him there. He spots her easily enough after walking in, making his way over to the table she's at.]

Hey. Thanks for agreeing to meet.

[Devi isn't much for goodbyes so once the call is ended, she floats her happy little ass over to her favorite personal spot and orders green tea for them both and a stay-hot pitcher of it because she will want more.

She was visually ecceltic, hair short in a sort of growing out undercut, hair an almost violent purple over her green eyes. There was a colorful tattoo of a compass on her hand, N/S extending along her index fingers, and the earrings were three steel 'U's of various sizes hanging from her lobes.]

What else am I going to do with my Tuesday afternoon when there's this kind of conversation to have out in the wide world. Sit. Have some tea. Tell me about yourself. [she glances him up and down.] Military?

Still. I appreciate it.

[He slides the tea cup closer, picking it up a little awkwardly, and takes a sip, obviously unsure what to expect. He's not really sure what he thinks of the taste. It kind of tastes like plants.

He shakes his head, giving her a faint smile.]

We're not here to talk about me. Which reminds me, you never answered my question - is this your second time here?

[Her guess that he's military makes sense, especially since he's still wearing his holster around the city. No one had stopped him yet. But he liked to think he didn't really carry himself like he was in the military.

He takes another thoughtful sip of the tea before sitting back to relax a little.]

Then we're not here to talk about me either, but for the sake of things - Yes, I was here the last time this city existed. To call this the 'second' implies that last time was the first and I'm just not sure anyone can keep a reasonable account of those things after so many years.

[She takes a sip of her tea and sits back herself, big black boots folding up so she sat crosslegged in the booth.]

Let's put it this way - I've started wars with the council here. And won. For the most part. Most of the timewhatever-[One hand waves it off.] - Where about are your questions starting? Have you already learned anything about the city?

Well... we sort of are. About your experiences, your knowledge.

I guess if you're really interested, I'll try to answer whatever questions you have. [He'd play along if it meant she'd be willing to share more about what she knows.] I'm not military.

Just- Before we move on. Just one question about that. Did you ever end up back home? Had time passed?

As for what I've heard so far - the City is sentient, it brought us here for some purpose, though it seems like no one knows what that purpose is, someone mentioned something about emotional responses, people die here but not permanently, and most people like us don't trust the magisters, you called them the council? ... I think that's about it.

I don't ask questions I don't want the answer to. [She smiles a little at his answer to her previous question and takes another long sip of her tea.]

So you've already been introduced to the magic, interesting. Good, actually. Means people are willing to talk about it. More importantly, means they remember.

I was sent home.. once, but time stops meanin- It's all like a dream, sort of. Being there. Being here. Mine is not a.. Not be what you might find to be a more traditional history in places like this. Because you- if you were to go home, that'd be it. You'd be home. Apple pie and whiskey. But if I were to go 'home', I go to a place that doesn't really exist anymore save an island of property.

That doesn't have anything to do with the City, but the context is important. [Her head bobbed and moved as she talked, that one hand animating her more, and she furrows her colorful brows at him as she continues.]

Have you been anywhere other than Home before? And I mean your world, no matter how much roaming over it you may or may not have done - have you ever been to a place like this before? Not the city, but.. but this.

[It was very hard to articulate, she wouldn't blame him if he didn't understand on first pass.]

Edited 2023-07-06 02:37 (UTC)

[ Harley sucked in a long breath of air through her teeth and leaned back as she turned all that over in her head, tapping her nails on her glass as she thought. Eventually she gave up and chugged her beer in one go. ]

Can't decide if this is the weirdest thing that's happened to me or not. Gonna need to see how it plays out before I can rank it.

[ She pours another glass. ]

That not-dying thing is ... suspiciously convenient. I figure that means none of us are gonna be the one to make it to the end credits.

[He gives her a small, forced, uncomfortable smile but nods, apparently resigned to his fate. He guesses it's sort of a fair trade off.]

Magic? Why assume anything I've just said about the City has anything to do with magic? [Maybe it's simply semantics but, from their brief exchange, his new acquaintance seems very intelligent, so he's a little disappointed she continues to simple chalk things up to a force that simply doesn't exist. If nothing else, he supposes he's willing to hear why she thinks it's magic.

He tries to follow along with what she means about time and how her home doesn't exist.] How does your home not exist?

[He shakes his head.] I didn't even know shit like this was a thing. That there was more than one... universe, or whatever you want to call it.

Yeah. [He agrees with a smirk at her reaction, downing the rest of his own glass before sliding it closer as she's refilling her own so she can top him up too.]

You too, huh? What's your home like? Seems like everyone comes from places pretty different to what I know.

[He waits for her to finish pouring to slide his glass back and cock his head a little.] Wouldn't it mean all of us make it to the end credits? If we don't die?

I'm just going off of assumptions, but I think it's because the City needs us here for something. If people figure out they can just... you know, instead of being prisoners and pawns... some might do it.

I am certain it has, but I could reach out to some of those I know who have been around a while and ask. They are used to me having far too many questions.

[ A moment spared to check his watch. The glass on it was broken, but it still kept perfect time. He had awhile left. ]

I awoke with the blanket fully over my head and all, but it was very dusty. I was not. At least until; I sat up and it settled. [ He had no issues answering the questions, after all, knowledge is important. And if they ever want to get home, working together was the only way.

Most likely anyway. Shaking his head some, clearly amused at that wry amusement on Leon. ]

Good, keep that in mind. Anything else you want to ask of me?

[With the blanket over his body. Interesting.] So, you were there the whole time. Your body was.

[He's not really sure if it's significant or what it means but he is curious if this is what the others experienced as well.] Sure, if you wouldn't mind asking them. I wonder why your experience was different...

Actually, I do have another question. The City. It's... sentient, or so I've been told. Are you aware of any way to communicate with it? Or know of anyone who has tried?

Ya know, I don't know a single place that has natural Lazarus options. People dyin' are supposed to stay dead - the great equalizer. Except here, we pop back up outta the mirage like we're fucking daisies. That and there's also no instance where a soul gets jerked across the multiverse and back again, without a little razzle dazzle.

[Other arguments aside, those two things on their face had always been the foundational blocks of understanding why 'magic' was an option. If they were outside, she'd show him a little more, but that could wait.]

It's called the multiverse. And I don't know how or why it doesn't exist anymore, alls I know is that for the past fifteen or so years, I've only gone back once. That's with cycling a few of these little bubbles of reality.

Leon, I am more than willing to talk to you over the network or in person as long as you don't mind a little dust.

[Network] username: leonskennedy | ota

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